Over the past few months, TikTok and other social platforms have been flooded with videos that look like real American soldiers…young, fit, emotional, sometimes even shirtless…asking viewers for support. But most of these “soldiers” aren’t real at all. They’re A.I.-generated characters designed to grab attention, farm engagement, or push propaganda.
Researchers say thousands of fake military videos are circulating; some tied to foreign influence campaigns. During the U.S.-Iran conflict, pro‑Iran accounts shared A.I. videos showing American troops crying or panicking to make it seem like U.S. soldiers didn’t support the war.
Other networks appear to come from places like China, Pakistan, and Indonesia. Some are trying to manipulate public opinion; others just want to build huge follower counts they can later sell.
A.I. makes impersonation easier than ever. Fake accounts have posted videos of “soldiers” who don’t follow real military rules…wrong uniforms, weird name tags, no helmets, even boarding aircraft shirtless. Some accounts even link viewers to adult content platforms.